Moving in as the successor to the fan-favorite Stone Imperial Russian Stout that was developed in 2000 and discontinued in 2016, Stone Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout has arrived with an upgraded recipe that boasts “the careful addition of Belma hops and flaked oats.” Although the beer retains the original recipe’s old-world nature by pouring “jet-black with a fluffy chocolate head and [tasting] of deeply dark fruit flavors with rich chocolate and coffee overtones”, the added flaked oats enhance the beer’s “long-lasting smooth and silky finish” while the new-world Belma hops “[intensify] its berry flavors and aroma while subtly introducing a juicy melon undertone.” In an impressive show of force, Stone Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout flexes its power with a 10.6% ABV and 65 IBUs.

“Our most devout fans don’t surrender quietly when we discontinue beers or skip Stone Special Release favorites,” said Jeremy Moynier, Stone Brewing senior manager of brewing & innovation, and nearly 14-year Stone veteran. “We always tell them they may see it again and in this case, the one year hiatus was well worth the wait. The additional hops and flaked oats add a new layer of complexity and mouthfeel that truly enhance an already remarkable beer.”

Stone Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout is available now and has plans to remain on shelves and taps into the month of July 2018. You can expect to find this Special Release available in 22 oz. bottles, 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution area. Prost!

Release – Special Release, mid-March through early July 2018Style – Russian Imperial StoutABV – 10.6%IBUs – 65Featured Hops – Magnum & Belma
Fun Fact – On the style’s history at Stone Brewing: “When the densely dark Stone Imperial Russian Stout was still in its infancy, the style wasn’t recognized by the US Government’s agency regulating brewery labels. They thought it implied that the beer was brewed in Russia rather than being an historic English style that had originally been brewed for the Russian court. We had three options:1. Name the beer simply Stone Imperial Stout2. Name the beer Stone Imperial Russian-Style Stout3. Fight backThe team embarked on a three-year naming battle before finally earning the style’s full recognition for Stone and all fellow US brewers. Stone Imperial Russian Stout was born as obstinate as it returns.”Availability – 22 oz. bottles, 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draftBeer Finder – https://find.stonebrewing.com/#ready

North Coast Brewing Co. (Fort Bragg, California) has officially announced the release of the 2018 vintage of its long-standing and highly regarded Old Stock Ale.

Originally brewed in 2000, the Old Stock Ale program was established by North Coast Brewing as an attempt to revive a style at a time “when the last of the classic English old ales had nearly disappeared from the market.” Meant to celebrate both the brewing and aging traditions of Old Ales, Old Stock Ale has been “well-designed . . . with an original gravity of over 1.100 and a generous hopping rate” so that the beer will “round out and mellow with age.” Officially arriving as this brew’s 19th vintage, 2018 Old Stock Ale (12% ABV, 34 IBUs) stays true to its English roots by being brewed with “classic Maris Otter malt and Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops, all imported from England.”

2018 Old Stock Ale is officially on shelves now and will hang around through the rest of the year. You can expect to find this vintage ale available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles at fine craft beer retailers, bars and restaurants located in Alabama, Florida, California and throughout the rest of North Coast’s distribution footprint. Prost!

Vital Information for 2018 Old Stock Ale from North Coast Brewing Co.

Release – Year-Round/Vintage, 2018 batch arrives March 2018Style – Old AleABV – 12%IBUs – 34Featured Malts – Maris OtterFeatured Hops – Fuggles & East Kent GoldingsSuggested Food Pairings – “[North Coast recommends] tasting a young Old Stock with a pairing of Parmigiano-Reggiano or a classic English Cheddar like the Lincolnshire Poacher, Montgomery Cheddar or Keen’s Cheddar. Older vintages that have been cellared pair well with classic blue cheeses like an English Stilton or a Spanish Valdeon.”Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottlesBeer Finder – https://northcoastbrewing.com/beers/beer-locator/

In order to get a head start on St. Patty’s Day weekend, we are shutting down the office early and getting into some Tasting Notes on the infamous Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, California).

Brewed in “remembrance of the 2005 St. Patrick’s Day Massacre and in commemoration of the 20-day suspension that followed” (click here to get more info on that event and an explanation of the featured photo above), Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale is Lagunitas Brewing Company’s “especially bitter” response to the ABC’s claim that the brewery was operating a “Disorderly House” on that fateful day. Best described as an American Strong Ale, Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale is a “malty and rich beer with a snappy hop finish [that] truly defies style…Imperial Mild?…Uber ESB?” Who knows?! What we do know – besides the fact that this beer’s name is incredibly long – is that Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale clocks in at an unruly 9.6% ABV and 66.6 IBUs and cannot possibly be held accountable for its actions. Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale is available now as a Limited Release offering, and you can track it down in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Illinois and throughout the rest of Lagunitas Brewing Company’s vast distribution area.

Now that we have covered the background on this subject, let’s dig deep and crack the case on this Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale with some Tasting Notes!

Appearance: This brew presents itself as a dark amber in color with just a slight orange hue to it. When held to direct light, that orange tone gains intensity and the liquid takes on more of a bright, shining copper appearance. The beer is impeccably clear and displays a bountiful carbonation presence dedicated in its mission to feed the perfect finger of frothy white foam resting above. Head retention is quite good, and that foam provides a huge amount of lace that utterly coats the Mason Jar-style glass by the end of the experience.

Aroma: Pine confidently steps forward first and fills the nose with resiny hop goodness. This eventually takes a gentle turn to the floral before a countering presence of caramel and grain settles in. Not to be outdone, the hops surface one last time with a parting pop of citrus zest.

Taste: The script flips in this arena as the flavors lead with a soothing presence of caramel and toffee. To keep things from getting overly sweet, the hops follow closely behind with a resinous pine note that is accompanied by grassy and floral tones. A fruit-filled character then surfaces in the form of tropical mango, candied orange and a bit of grapefruit zest. Still, even as all these hop notes gain momentum, there remains a composed layer of sweet grain and malt interwoven throughout to keep the bitterness in check. Really nicely done here.

Mouthfeel: With a spot-on medium body and a moderate carbonation level, this beer has a creamy feel and a somewhat long finish that leaves behind notes of orange and grapefruit zest. Although it puts in some serious work on both the bitter and sweet sides of palate, this beer’s level of balance is simply stunning. Combine that with an ABV that translates much lighter than its 9.6%, and you are left with a big ol’ brew that is dangerously drinkable.

Final Thoughts: This may be another beer that steps outside the norm to defy style guidelines, but somehow it is blatantly obvious that Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale nailed the brewery’s intentions and expectations. We say that because every aspect of this beer is synced up. Its look is absolutely gorgeous and coyly lures you in for sip after sip. The aromatics and flavors have achieved a brilliant level of balance. The feel is so damn smooth and has just enough weight to properly carry the experience. And then there’s that hidden ABV . . . We wracked our brains but could not come up with another beer that exceeds 9% ABV and drinks this easy and refreshing.

All in all, we had a hard time deciding whether this beer was more dumbfounding or sensical, and then it hit us. Not only does this beer properly commemorate a moment in the history of Lagunitas, but it also lives up to its name (especially the “Undercover Investigation” portion) by being a well-orchestrated, sneaky brew that will get you into trouble if you let it. It warns you to proceed with caution while still encouraging you to enjoy the hell out of every moment spent with an Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale in your hand. If a beer could be a maniacal genius, it would be this one. Be sure to check it out. Prost!

Funky Buddha Brewery (Oakland Park, Florida) has officially announced that it will release I Want It Now! Tropical Gose on Sunday, March 18 as the latest offering from the brewery’s Little Buddha Small Batch Series.

Originally created in 2013 to be “a super juicy ‘snozzberry gose'”, I Want It Now! has since morphed a bit to become a “tasty and tart gose . . . brewed with real mango and passion fruit juices.” Finished off with a dose of kettle salts to lend “a refreshing, complex quality to this tart concoction”, I Want It Now! (5% ABV) comes together to be a thirst-quenching “easy drinker with just enough tropical fruit to tame its tart nature.”

I Want It Now! will initially release in Funky Buddha’s Tap Room at 11:30 a.m. on March 18 and distribution will follow shortly thereafter. Once in distribution, you will be able to find this Little Buddha Small Batch offering available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select beer-friendly establishments located in Florida and throughout the rest of Funky Buddha’s steadily expanding distribution area. Prost!

Vital Information for I Want It Now! Tropical Gose from Funky Buddha Brewery

Terrapin Beer Co. (Athens, Georgia) has announced that T-Time Berliner Weisse will officially return on Saturday, March 17 as the brewery’s new Spring/Summer Seasonal.

Originally released last year in a more limited quantity as a Special Release, T-Time is back as a refreshing Seasonal that beer fans can enjoy during the spring and into the summer months. Brewed with Maya Tea and lemon, T-Time (4% ABV) is a “tart and thirst-quenching” Berliner Weisse that is meant to be a “summertime refresher [that will] get you back into the swing of things both on and off the course.”

“The addition of two new brewing vessels to our Rolec Brewhouse has allowed Terrapin to increase the production of kettle soured beer, such as T-Time and our year-round Good to Gose.”

– Jack Albanese, Director of Operations at Terrapin Beer Co.

T-Time Berliner Weisse will officially release in the Tasting Room at Terrapin Beer Co. on March 17 and will enter distribution shortly thereafter. You can expect to find this Seasonal offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and throughout the rest of Terrapin’s distribution footprint. Prost!

New Realm Brewing Company (Atlanta, Georgia) has officially announced that it will begin distribution of its first two canned offerings, Hoplandia IPA and Euphonia Pilsner, in early April.

Since first opening their doors in January, the folks at New Realm Brewing have spent the last few months getting fully acquainted with their equipment and honing their approach to the day-to-day workflow in both the brewery and restaurant sides of their beautiful facility located on Atlanta’s Beltline. Confident that they have locked all that down, they are now ready for the next natural step: canning some beer for distribution in the Atlanta area.

The first two canned offerings will be Hoplandia IPA and Euphonia Pilsner, and their official brewery descriptions are as follows:

Hoplandia IPA – Budding with sought-after hops and a heavenly hit of citrus and peach, Hoplandia is no ordinary IPA. It’s not confined to the style of the West Coast, East Coast or whatever coast. This lush IPA is something sublimely different and now in cans, more Atlantans will be able to experience Hoplandia for themselves. ABV – 7.3% IBUs – 75

“This is a super exciting time for us at New Realm Brewing. Not only has it been a phenomenal year opening our facility but now to be releasing our original IPA and Pilsner to market in cans, it’s just so cool,” said Mitch Steele, Brewmaster and co-founder of New Realm Brewing. “Hoplandia is for those that crave piney, citrusy hop flavors and Euphonia Pilsner, our refreshing, easy sipping pils has been a favorite amongst our brewers and guests at our bar.”

Hoplandia IPA and Euphonia Pilsner will become available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans in early April, and you will be able to find these packaged Mainstay offerings in the brewery and at craft beer-friendly establishments located throughout New Realm’s localized distribution footprint in the Atlanta area. If you are eager to try Hoplandia IPA and Euphonia Pilsner before they hit shelves next month, you can always swing by New Realm Brewing and enjoy them on draft. Prost!

This week’s installment of Tasting Notes has us revisiting an old favorite as we get into a pour of the iconic Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale (2017) from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico, California).

The legend of Sierra Nevada’sBigfoot started in 1983 and has since grown to establish this beastly Barleywine as a cult classic in the American craft beer community. This strong and robust American-style Barleywine reached this status by showcasing “bold flavors of bittersweet malt and heaps of aggressive whole-cone Pacific Northwest hops.” Since it weighs in at an imposing 9.6% ABV and possesses a substantial hop bill, Bigfoot can either be enjoyed fresh or it can age “like a fine wine, developing new flavors and character as it matures in the bottle.”

Although we are stepping back a year in time for these Tasting Notes, the 2018 vintage of Bigfoot is available now in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, North Carolina and throughout the rest of Sierra Nevada’s expansive distribution area.

Now that we have covered the history of this classic, let’s grab a glass and sit down to some Tasting Notes with the Bigfoot.

Appearance:Bigfoot fills the glass as a dark caramel-colored brew that has a reddish undertone to it. When held to direct light, that caramel tone softens a bit and its red hue shifts to become more of a vibrant copper. The beer is pristine in clarity and shows a good amount of tiny bubbles streaming skyward. The pour produced just over a finger of tight, sandy-colored foam that has fantastic retention and thoroughly coats the glass with chunky gobs of lace.

Aroma: The aromatics on this beer are gorgeously distinct and aggressively storm the nose as soon as its cap is removed. There is a firm earthy layer up front that is both floral and piney. Those notes are then followed by sweet tones of brown sugar, caramel, and toffee. A touch of dark fruit and a bright burst of citrus character smooth it all out to close the profile.

Taste: Resinous pine strikes the palate first with a hoppy bite that is then quickly tempered by a sweet and sturdy malt backbone of toffee and caramel. Dark fruits – mostly reading as sticky, caramelized dates – then emerge and bring with them some more earthy and floral characteristics from the hops. Gaining a second wind, the hops assert themselves once again by saturating the finish with a parting dose of grapefruit-laced pine. Absolutely delicious.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with a mild carbonation, Bigfoot has a hefty weight to it and sticks a bit on the palate. Even after a year, the hops still have a good amount of bite to them, but an underlying sweetness is there to do what it can in providing some balance. As expected, that 9.6% ABV brings with it a building heat that settles in the throat and radiates down to the belly. The aftertaste is a long lingering note of pine.

Final Thoughts: There is a lengthy list of reasons for why Bigfoot is so respected and beloved, but its unwavering degree of consistency must be near the top of that list. Year in and year out, fans of this American-style Barleywine just know that it is going to be aggressively and deliciously hop-laden when fresh but still has the potential to turn into a balanced, sweet sipper over time. Those of us who cellar beer rest easy knowing that there will be no surprises with this brew as we stash a sixer or case of each vintage away for years on end. It is just a given that our Bigfoot cache will effortlessly evolve into a steady progression of captivating flavors and aromas as the years tick by, and I think many of us take the beauty of that for granted at times. Sierra Nevada has achieved an artful level of craftsmanship with Bigfoot that unquestionably holds its own against time, and – for that reason – it has inspired countless brewers to create their own American Barleywines over the last 35 years. Bigfoot truly is a standard for its style and the craft of American brewing in general, and that is why it deserves our attention, appreciation and praise with each year’s release. That is why it is a classic. Prost!

Released in March when “the most recent crop of hops becomes available to . . . brewers”, Cosmik Debris (8% ABV) is a fan-favorite Double India Pale Ale that employs the use of five pounds of its featured hops per barrel – Simcoe, Idaho 7, Mosaic, Cascade and Chinook hops. This considerable hop bill comes together to produce “a bursting aroma of citrus zest, melon and subtle pine” and strikes “a beautiful balance between firm bitterness and malt, with notes of starfruit and orange marmalade on the palate.”

“Cosmik Debris has a brilliant aroma from the hop profile that will lessen with age. This beer should be kept cold and consumed as fresh as possible.”

– David Stein, Head Brewer at Creature Comforts Brewing Company

Cosmik Debris will initially release in the Tasting Room at Creature Comforts Brewing Co. on March 23 and then enter distribution shortly thereafter. You can expect to find this Seasonal offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer establishments located within Creature Comforts Brewing Co.’s distribution footprint in Athens and Atlanta, Georgia. Prost!

Here to prove that you can load a massive amount of juicy fruit goodness into an India Pale Ale “with absolutely no addition of fruit”, the brewers at Stone Brewing gave Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA the power to pack “a mouthwatering fruit punch to the palate” with only the use of floral and citrusy Mosaic, Loral and Mandarina Bavaria hops. “Refreshing but with just the right amount of bitterness”, Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA (7.5% ABV) stays true to its tiki roots thanks to that hop bill supplying “hints of passion fruit, pineapple, tangerine, guava and mango . . . as well as strawberry, blueberry and subtle herbal notes.”

“Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA was initially brewed with the intent to add fruit,” said Jeremy Moynier, Stone Brewing senior innovation brewing manager. “However, once we brewed it, we couldn’t believe the amazing fruit aroma and flavors we’d coaxed from the hops alone. To heck with the fruit!”

Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA is available now in 22 oz. bottles and on draft. You can expect to find this new Year-Round brew at craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution area. Prost!

Anchor Brewing (San Francisco, California) has officially announced the release of Brewers’ Pale Ale – Nelson Hop Blend as the premier offering from its new series of American Pale Ales made with an evolving hop blend.

Developed to be an engaging new line of beers “brewed by brewers, for brewers”, Brewers’ Pale Ale is “a bright and fruity American Pale Ale bursting with hop aroma and flavor” sourced from a hop blend that will steadily evolve as time goes on. The first version of Brewers’ Pale Ale will showcase Nelson Sauvin, a unique hop from New Zealand that provides “a deliciously fruity character.” Hop lovers can expect Brewers’ Pale Ale – Nelson Hop Blend (5.3% ABV) to offer a “crisp, refreshing and flavorful” experience that boasts “strong aromas of grapefruit, passion fruit, citrus peels and dank piney hops.”

“Our brewers work together to develop and constantly evolve recipes until they’re absolutely delicious and uniquely Anchor,” said Brewmaster Scott Ungermann. “For this beer, our first step was to create just the right malt bill to showcase our favorite hops and then blend those hops within that framework. While it took many iterations and taste tests to make a killer everyday pale ale, our brewers were up for the challenge. The result is a modern American Pale Ale with the fresh aromatics of an ever-changing blend of our brewers’ favorite hops for a bright, crisp, delicious and perfect go-to beer.”

Brewers’ Pale Ale – Nelson Hop Blend is available now in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California and throughout the rest of Anchor Brewing’s distribution area. Although the Brewer’s Pale Ale brand is listed as a Year-Round, the “Nelson Hop Blend” will only be available for a limited time as “Anchor brewers . . . continue to experiment with different hop varieties, showcasing evolved recipes and new hop blends throughout the year.” With that said, be sure to get your hands on some Brewers’ Pale Ale – Nelson Hop Blend while you have the chance. Prost!